Mileage and route indicator



A ril 11, 1950 w@ c. GEORGE 2,503,255

MILEAGE AND ROUTE INDICATOR Filed Feb. 15, 1946- Patented Apr. 11, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILEAGE AND ROUTE INDICATOR Willard 0.George, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Application February 15, 1946, Serial No. 647,898

2 Claims.

This invention relates to mileage and route indicators, and moreparticularly to a device of this character which may be placedconveniently for use on a counter, table, stand, shelf or other suitablesupport in a public place such as a hotel lobby, office of a chamber ofcommerce or tourist camp or lodge, information booths and like places,gasoline filling stations, etc., frequented or patronized by a travelerseeking such information.

, An object of the invention is to produce a conveniently usable devicewhich is easily manipulated and gives the mileage and route numbers froma given place to any one of many other places distant therefrom andcovering a range of the more noted or prominent places throughout theentire country or at least throughout a large section or divisionthereof.

Another object is to produce a device of this character contained withina suitable casing or housing and having exposed panels or surfaceportions on which may be applied advertising and other attractivematter.

A further object is to manufacture the device at a minimum cost and tofacilitate interchange of will hereinafter be more fully described inthe 1? following specification.

A practical but non-limiting exemplification of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on or about the line 33 ofFigure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the removable top frame of the devicedetached.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 5 designates,generally, the casing or housing of the device. As shown, the casing orhousing 5 is of generally rectangular horizontal section, havingparallel opposite side walls 6 Whose upper edge portions are inclinedupwardly, as at 1, from a lower front wall 8 to its higher rear end wallportion 9. This formation of the casing or housing produces an inclinedtop face the fea- .i

tures of which will be presently described more fully in detail.

' The casing or housing 5 is provided with a removable, generallyrectangular, top frame ID.

This frame, as shown, has a rabbeted outer mariii ginal portion l Iextending entirely therearound so that the frame is fittable tightlywithin the upper edge portions of the side and front and rear walls ofthe device. In some cases, this top frame I0 may be fitted tightly andheld by a frictional engagement within the upper edge portions of thedevice, but, preferably, as shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 4, theopposite side marginal portions of the top frame are provided withapertured ears I2 which are screw-threaded to receive fastening screwsl3 which are inserted through aligned apertures provided therefor in theadjacent side wall portions of the device.

The removable top frame I0 is provided at its middle with an integralcross-plate portion I 4, said plate portion l4 having a sight opening l5of substantial width and two relatively narrow additional sight openingsi6 and 11, respectively.

The two sight openings l6 and H, in practice, are usually of a Width toexpose therethrough only a single line of indicia, the opening l6 beingshorter than the opening I! and provided primarily to display a mileageindication, while the other and longer opening I! is of a length todisplay a route number or a multiplicity of such numbers in sequentialarrangement. However, as to the sight opening [5, it is pointed out thatthis particular opening is for displaying the name of a place remotefrom the place from which the mileage and route number, or numbers, areto be indicated. This opening [5 may be of the same narrow width as theopenings l6 and H, but, as shown, said opening I5 is considerably widerso as to expose therethrough a plurality of destinations, the middle oneof which is to be the one particu larly designated and the opposite endsof the opening I5 are provided with indicator points [8 disposed midwayof the opposite end portions of the opening and in registered alignmentwith which the selected place of destination is brought in the operationof the device. This is the preferred provision and arrangement of thesight opening I5 in that the same facilitates the more readily andaccurately positioning of the selected 7 place in position with relationto the indicator pointers l8.

Mounted rotatably within the casing or housing 5, transversely thereof,is a hollow drum with end heads [9 which are shouldered internally andannularly, as at 20, and have fixed tightly thereon a cylindrical barrelportion 21. Obviously, however, this drum may be of any other suitableconstruction and arrangement. It may be also suitably mounted in anydesirable or approved manner. As shown, its pivotal mounting comprisestrunnions or stub shafts 22 havin reduced inner end portions 23 whichare fitted tightly in axial bores in said end heads [9. The members 22are fitted rotatably in bearing apertures provided therefor in theadjacent portions of the side walls 6 of the device and said members 22have rounded or semi-spherical outer ends which are received incounterpart socket portions 24 of bearing plates or brackets 25 whichare detachably secured, as at 26, to the adjacent outer face portions ofthe side walls 6.

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the drum element, but,as shown, the end head members of the drum element are provided withannular flanges 21 which are extended outwardly beyond the circumferenceof the barrel portion 2I of the drum and said annular flange portions ofthe heads l9 are knurled or otherwise roughened peripherally tofacilitate the engaging contact with the end of'a finger in effectingrotation of the drum element. As shown, these end flanges 21 of the drumelement are protruded a slight distance outwardli through elongatedslots 28 provided therefor in the adjacent middle portions at oppositesides of the top frame [8.

It is here" pointed out that, in practice, the respective devices of thepresent invention are made to indicate mileage and route numbers fromone certain place, that is tosay, the place from which the reckoning isto bemade and indicated.

For example, as shown in the drawings, the place of use is Washington,D. 0., and this name is marked on the crossplate member M of the topframe It. Associated with this name is the word From and markedindicatively with the mileage opening is the word Miles and the wordRoutes is also marked'in indicating relation to the slot i7. These twomarkings Miles and Routes will be the same in all adaptations of theinvention, but the name of the place from which the information is tc'begiven must be changed accordingly.

The particular indicia used is to be printed, typed or otherwise markedon a sheet of paper or other suitable material and this sheet is appliedto'the' circumference of the barrel portion of the drum by glue, otheradhesive or some suitable and approved attaching medium. Thus, there isdisposed annularly of the drum, adjacent one end thereof so as to bemoved into view through the sight opening 15, the names of amultiplicity of places or destinations. Aligned with the names of therespective destinations, lonigtudinally of the drum, and closelyadjacent thereto so as to be moved into view through the sight openingl6, are the calculated mileage numbers corresponding to the distancebetween the one starting place and the particular destination, While inalignment with the respective mileage numbers are the number or numbersof the route or routes to be taken in traveling-from the place oforigination to the destination.

Any suitable provision may be made for releasably holding the drum inany of its rotated positions, such as, for example, a suitable kind ofratchet provision or releasable holding device may be employed. Asshown, a spring tongue element 29 is attached, as at 30, adjacent one ofits ends to the-adjacent side wall portion 6 and its free end portion isnormally in contact with the outer face of the adjacent end member I!)of the drum. This spring element 29 functions as a friction brake withsufficient force to normally hold the drum in the position to which itis moved, but readily yields to permit forcible rotation of the drum bythe application of a finger to the periphery of one of the flanges 21.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a practical device of itscharacter is provided which is structurally the same for use at anygiven place, the only part to be varied being the sheeted covering,designated generally by the numeral 3|, which latter, of course, has tobe specially calculated. and marked for use at a given place. The deviceis also attractive as well as handy for use. So, too, panels 32 and 33may be provided to cover rectangular openings 32 and 33' in the topframe [0 at opposite sides of the central cross-plate [4, said openings32' and 33' being respectively rabbeted, as at 32" and 33", to affordseats for the margins of said panels 32 and 33. These panels 32 and 33may be left plain and unmarked, but for such as advertising purposes,the same may be accordingly pictured or contain advertising matter orindicia. It is also here noted that the panels 32 and 33 may be eitheropaque or transparent or translucent, in which latter cases the same maybe illuminated by placing a suitable lighting device or elementtherebelow within the casing or housing 5.

The herein illustrated and described deviceis but one practicalexemplificationof the invention and the same admits of considerablemodification within the purview of the invention as defined by theappended claims. The invention, therefore, is'not limited to thespecific construction and arrangement shown.

What is claimed'is:

1. In a mileage and route indicator from one geographic location to aplurality of geographic locations, the combination with a hollow casinghaving front, rear and side walls, a rotatable drum, means rotatablymounting said drum within said casing between said side walls, said drumbeing formed on its periphery with a plurality of lines of indiciaparallel to the axis of said drum, each line including indiciadesignating a geographic location, the mileage thereto and a routethereto, and means for rotating said drum; of a top for said casing,means detachably connecting said'top to said casing across said front,rear and side walls, said top being formed with at least one sightopening therethrough, said sight opening being positioned to overlie aline of indicia on said drum, said top being formed to provide a pair ofpanel openings therethrough, there being a panel opening above andspaced from said sight opening and a panel opening below and spaced fromsaid sight opening, a panel for each panel opening, and meansdetacha'bly mounting each panel in its respective panel opening.

2. In a mileage and route indicator from one geographic location to aplurality of geographic locations, the combination with a hollow casinghaving front, rear and side walls, a rotatable drum, means rotatablymounting said drum within said casing between said side walls, said drumbeing formed on its periphery with a plurality of lines of indiciaparallel to the axis of said drum, each line including indiciadesignating a geographic location, the mileage thereto and a routethereto, and means for rotating said drum; of a top for said casing,means detachably connecting said top to said casing across said front,rear and side walls, said top being formed with at least one sightopening therethrough, saidsight opening being positioned to overlie aline of indicia on said drum, said top being formed to provide a pair ofpanel openings therethrough, there being a panel opening above andspaced from said sight opening and a panel opening below and REFERENCESCITED spaced from said sight opening, a, panel for each The follow fpanel opening, and said panels and said panel file of this a erences areof record m the openings being formed to provide complementary Yrabbeted marginal portions whereby said panels 5' UNITED STATES RA areseated in said panel openings flush with the Number Name Date surface ofsaid top. 509,891 Gore Dec. 5, 1893 627,402 Einbigler June 20, 1899WILLARD C. GEORGE. 1,371,022 Ecaubert Mar. 8, 1921 1,546,928 Graham July21, 192!

